Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Tag: Paul Goldschmidt

#PitchtoGoldschmidt worked for Dodgers in 2016

By

On September 19, 2016

In Other teams

By Jon Weisman

As if to remind us not to get too cocky, Paul Goldschmidt scored the winning run Sunday against the Dodgers, in the last of the 173 innings they played against Arizona this year.

Nevertheless, the agony of wondering why the Dodgers would ever pitch to Goldschmidt took a vacation in 2016.

Goldschmidt, whose 1.085 OPS against the Dodgers from 2012-15 was the highest of any National League West batter, had only a .265 on-base percentage and .368 slugging percentage (.633 OPS) against Los Angeles this year.

In 83 plate appearances, the Dodgers walked him six times and took their chances 77 others. In those 77, they got 61 outs, including a sacrifice fly.

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Dodgers can pitch to Paul Goldschmidt — carefully

By

On July 15, 2016

In Pregame

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Chris Taylor, 2B
Bud Norris, P

By Jon Weisman

Paul Goldschmidt comes to the plate against the Dodgers, and you can hear the panicked screaming from across the fan base: “Just walk him.”

But following years of Goldschmidt taking a sledgehammer to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have gotten their revenge …

… for the most part.

PG

After stomping Los Angeles in 2012, 2013 and 2015 (while settling for being merely good in 2014), Goldschmidt has been retired in 20 of 25 plate appearances this season, heading into tonight’s three-game Dodger-Diamondbacks series.

Not that he hasn’t done some damage. In his first game against the Dodgers this year, at the Dodger Stadium home opener April 12, Goldschmidt hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning. He also hit a first-inning homer in the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 win over the Dodgers on June 13.

In fact, Goldschmidt has driven in a run with every hit he’s had against the Dodgers this year, which only bolsters the impression that he’s been as tough on them as ever. But overall, the Dodgers have gotten their revenge.

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Dodgers add Silverio, Van Slyke to 40-man

By

On November 2, 2011

In Uncategorized

In the soothing quiet of a slow news cycle, the Dodgers have made two more roster moves. From The Associated Press:

The Los Angeles Dodgers added outfielder Alfredo Silverio and first baseman-outfielder Scott Van Slyke to their 40-man roster.

Silverio batted .306 with 16 home runs and 85 RBIs lastseason with Double-A Chattanooga, and earned selection to the All-Star Futures Game in July.

Van Slyke won the Southern League batting title with a .348 average and had 20 homers and 92 RBIs for Chattanooga. He was named the Dodgers’ minor league player of the year. He is a son of former All-Star outfielder Andy Van Slyke.

I wrote in August about Van Slyke as an emerging 2012 roster option. The 25-year-old had a .427 on-base percentage and .595 slugging percentage in 2011 for Chattanooga, adding up to a 1.022 OPS that was second-best in the Southern League behind Paul Goldschmidt (who then had a 117 OPS+ for Arizona down the stretch) .

Silverio, 24, finished his year with a .340 OBP and .542 slugging, as well as this bizarre combination: 18 triples, 11 stolen bases, 12 caught stealing.

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Attendance

1991-2013
Dodgers at home: 1,028-812 (.558695)
When Jon attended: 338-267 (.558677)*
When Jon didn’t: 695-554 (.556)
* includes road games attended

2013
Dodgers at home: 51-35 (.593)
When Jon attended: 5-2 (.714)
When Jon didn’t: 46-33 (.582)

Note: I got so busy working for the Dodgers that in 2014, I stopped keeping track, much to my regret. 

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